Arsenal were held to a goalless draw by Everton this afternoon. Here are our player ratings:
Starting XI
David Raya – 6.5
He couldn’t have asked for an easier day, as Everton failed to register a single shot on target.
Jurrien Timber – 6.5
A solid performance, but like most of the team, he could have done more to push Arsenal toward a victory.
William Saliba – 6.5
Had very little defensive work to do, as Everton posed a minimal threat going forward.
Gabriel Magalhães – 6.5
Tried to make himself useful in attack during set-pieces, but defensively, he had a quiet game due to Everton’s lack of ambition.
Myles Lewis-Skelly – 7.0
Another impressive display from the young left-back. He played with composure beyond his years and didn’t look out of place in the senior team.
Martin Odegaard – 5.0
A disappointing afternoon for the captain. He squandered two good chances that he would normally bury and struggled to influence the game creatively.
Declan Rice – 6.5
Kept the midfield ticking with accurate distribution and ensured balance, but questions remain over whether he’s more effective when partnered with Partey and Odegaard instead of Merino.
Mikel Merino – 7.0
Showed flashes of creativity and posed more of a threat than Odegaard, often looking like the player most likely to deliver a decisive pass.
Bukayo Saka – 7.5
Arsenal’s brightest spark in an otherwise dull performance. Saka was relentless in driving at Everton’s defence and created several dangerous moments.
Kai Havertz – 6.0
Struggled to make an impact up front, as Everton’s defenders surrounded him. Dropped into midfield at times to try to influence the game.
Gabriel Martinelli – 5.5
An underwhelming display. Performances like this highlight Arsenal’s need for a more consistent left winger. He was frustrating to watch.
Substitutes
Ethan Nwaneri – 5.5
The teenager looked inexperienced against Everton’s well-drilled low block.
Jorginho – 6.0
Helped maintain Arsenal’s control of the game after coming on, but couldn’t unlock Everton’s defence.
Thomas Partey – 6.0
Played at right-back and contributed to keeping Arsenal on the front foot, but didn’t make a significant impact.
Gabriel Jesus – 5.0
A forgettable performance. His struggles raise questions about his role in the team.
Leandro Trossard – 6.0
Offered more of a threat than Jesus when he came on, but still couldn’t find the breakthrough Arsenal needed.
So depressing to witness the dramatic decline of certain players since last season – namely Martinelli, Jesus , Havertz. Was it really worth getting rid of ESR and Reis Nelson for Sterling and Merino? Total waste of money! Rating the individual players not very helpful. Would be cool if we were given the chance to rate the manager. My rating would be 1 out of 10 just for his hairstyle.
Merino and MLS rated too highly in my opinion.
Arteta was a 2.
All the bluster and talk about creating more in open play never materialized.
Same risk averse, slow, predictable build up, everything on the right side, rinse and repeat same tactics.
Even after the subs, not much was different.
Arteta looking out of ideas at this point; stubbornly refuses to change his tactics or play, feeling safe in his job and with his paycheck.
His interview after the match was near insulting to those that watched.
Deserved to win? Based on what, all the possession Everton was content to give us?
We could still be playing and not have scored. Yet another opportunity to gain points on the leaders and yet again we bottle it.
Lack the mentality and spirit of Champions that find ways to win.
Hard to defend this one dimensional manager at this point, simply can’t always blame the players and buy new ones.
Durand,
I’ve said this about Arteta on more than one occasion, that after games he try’s to pull the wool over the fans eyes.
Well it doesn’t work with me, I know a bad performance when I see one, and no amount of claptrap from Arteta after woods is going to fool me.
Merino with a 7 is a joke. I said it, and I would keep saying a top side doesn’t sign a rookie, at worst their academy manager. Artet has a job because he maintains the status quo, not because he wants to win a championship.Our signings look worse than the players they are meant to replace; Merino, HAvertz, and Califiori, at best, are bench players
MLS looks out of place at left back, but not so bad when he inverts, and needs to work on his throw.
A 7 for Merino, rubbish. Your expectations are low.